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Steps Taken To Serve Justice in the Bombings of U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania

Fact Sheet released by the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, August 4, 1999.

Following the bombings of the two U.S. embassies in East Africa on August 7, 1998, the U.S. Government obtained evidence implicating Usama bin Laden's network in the attacks. To preempt additional attacks, the United States launched military strikes against terrorist targets in Afghanistan and Sudan on August 20, 1998. That same day, President Clinton amended Executive Order 12947 to add Usama bin Laden and his key associates to the list of terrorists, thus blocking their U.S. assets--including property and bank accounts--and prohibiting any transactions on dealings with them by United States persons or within the United States, as set forth in the Executive Order.

As a result of an extensive criminal investigation, and working closely with Kenya, Tanzania, and other nations, the U.S. Government has indicted or filed criminal complaints against Bin Laden and 16 of his associates for their involvement in the two bombings and other terrorist crimes.

Five of these suspects are in U.S. custody; one is in custody in the U.K. El Hage and Ali Mohammed were arrested in the United States. Two other suspects, Odeh and
Al-Owhali, were turned over to U.S. authorities in Kenya and brought to the United States to stand trial. A fifth suspect, Salim, was arrested in Germany in September and extradited to the United States in December. Khalid Al-Fawwaz is in custody in the United Kingdom pending extradition to the United States. Nine others are fugitives.

In addition to these indictments, a criminal complaint was filed on July 12, 1999, against suspected Bin Laden associates Adel Mohammed Abdul Almagid Bary and Ibrahim Hussein Abdelhadi Eidarous in connection with the embassy bombings and other crimes. The two had been arrested in the United Kingdom the previous day; the United States is now seeking their extradition.

In June, Usama bin Laden was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. The Department of State has announced a reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any of the suspects anywhere in the world.